Morinda tinctoria Roxb. (Family: Rubiaceae) is commonly known as Indian mulberry or Aal in India. This plant is very well known for its therapeutic benefit in Indian systems of medicine including Ayurveda and Siddha and in other forms of traditional Medicine worldwide for the treatment of several ailments. Almost all parts of this plant have been explored for its medicinal uses. Several reports on the phytochemical and therapeutic benefits of this plant have been reported. In this article an attempt has been made to review the traditional uses, phytochemical profiles and therapeutic potentials of Indian mulberry.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the world's most common primary malignant tumor of the liver. In-Jin-ho-Tang (IJHT) has been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine since ancient times, and today it is widely used as a medication for jaundice associated with inflammation of the liver. In-Jin-Ho-Tang is a drug preparation consisting of three herbs: Artemisiae Capillaris Herba (Artemisia capillaries , Injinho in Korean), Gardeniae Fructus (Gardenia jasminodes , Chija in Korean) and Rhei radix et rhizoma (Rheum palmatum L., Daehwang in Korean). This study investigated whether or not methanol extract of IJHT could induce HepG2 cancer cell death. Cytotoxic activity of IJHT on HepG2 cells was measured using an XTT assay, with an value of at 24 h Apoptosis induction by IJHT in HepG2 cells was verified by the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase, and a decrease in procaspase-3, -8, -9. Treatment of IJHT resulted in the release of cytochrome c into cytosol, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (), decrease in anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and an increase in pro-apoptotic Bax expression. Thus, IJHT induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells via activation of caspase and mitochondria pathway. These results indicate that IJHT has potential as an anti-cancer agent.

Samsoeum (SSE) is used in traditional oriental medicine for various medicinal purposes. However, the exact mechanism that accounts for the anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory effects of the SSE is still not fully understood. The aim of the present study is to elucidate whether and how SSE modulates the allergic reactions in vivo, and inflammatory reaction in vitro. In this study, we showed that SSE significantly decreased compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis, ear-swelling response, histamine release from preparation of rat peritoneal mast cells and anti-dinitropheny IgE-induced passive cutaneous reaction. Also, SSE inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokine and cyclooxygenase-2 in PMA plus A23187-stimulated human mast cells (HMC-1). In addition, we showed that anti-inflammatory mechanism of SSE is through suppression of nuclear factor- activation and phosphorylation/degradation in HMC-1. These results provided new insight into the pharmacological actions of SSE as a potential molecule for therapy of inflammatory allergic diseases.

The antioxidant potency of methanolic extract Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. (MECI), which are widely used in the Indian indigenous system of medicine for different purposes, was studied. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using different established in vitro antioxidant tests viz. determination of total amount of polyphenolics compounds, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging and reductive power assay. It was found that MECI contain a high amount of polyphenolics and possesses significant free radical scavenging activity in all the assay. The higher activity was may be due to presence of richest amount of polyphenolics and flavonoids in it.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the putative anxiolytic-like effects of the 70% ethanol extract of Portulaca oleracea (EPO) using an elevated plus maze (EPM) in mice. The EPO was orally administered at 50, 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg to ICR mice, 1 h before the behavioral evaluation in the EPM, respectively. Control mice were treated with an equal volume of 10% tween 80, and positive control mice with diazepam (1 mg/kg). Single treatments of the EPO significantly increased the percentage of time spent and arm entries into the open arms of the EPM versus controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, there were no changes in the locomotor activity and myorelaxant effects in any group compared with the saline controls. In addition, the anxiolytic-like effects of the EPO were blocked by flumazenil (10 mg/kg, i.p), a antagonist not by WAY 100635 (0.3 mg/kg, i.p), a 5- receptor antagonist. These results indicate that P. oleracea is an effective anxiolytic agent, and suggest that the anxiolytic-like effects of P. oleracea is mediated via the GABAergic nervous system.

Anxiety disorders are one of the serious problems which need proper therapy devoid of side effects of presently available medicines. The present study evaluates the anxiolytic and sedative activity of leaf galls of Piper nigrum Linn. in Swiss Albino mice. The pet. ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of leaf galls of Piper nigrum Linn were obtained by continuous soxhlet extraction. The prepared extracts were found to be safe up to 2000 mg/kg body weight of mice in the acute toxicity study. Each extract was assessed for anxiolytic activity in Swiss Albino mice by elevated plus Maze, open field test, rota rod test and phenobarbitone induced sleeping time test. In the Elevated Plus Maze test, the pet.ether extract and chloroform extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg b.w. orally, significantly (P < 0.01) increased the number of entries and time spent in open arm comparable with standard diazepam at the dose of 10 mg/kg. b.w. p.o. In the open field test, pet. ether extract (50 mg/kg b.w. p.o.) showed significant increase (P < 0.01) in ambulation and activity in the center. Chloroform extract (50 mg/kg b.w p.o.) was significant (P < 0.05) for both ambulation and center activity. Pet. ether extract (50 mg/kg b.w. p.o) also showed significant activity (P < 0.01) in rota rod test. All the results are comparable with standard diazepam at the dose of 1 mg /kg b.w, p.o. Moreover all the extracts showed significant (P < 0.01) increase in the phenobarbitone induced sleeping time among which pet.ether showed more prominent activity (36%) comparable with control. The results revealed that, the active pet.ether extract and chloroform extract of leaf galls of Piper nigrum Linn is worthwhile to develop the bioactive principle for anxiolytic activity.

Equisetum hyemale Linne. (EH) (Equisetaceae) has been used for the treatment of eye and skin disease, chronic eczema, pneumoconiosis and asthma in Korea and China. Human leukemic mast cells are widely distributed in the connective tissues of mammals and other vertebrates. Phorbol 12-myristrate 13-acetate (PMA) and calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated Human leukaemic mast cell line-1 (HMC-1) can produce a variety of inflammatory mediators and several pro-inflammatory and chemotactic cytokines such as TNF-, IL-6 and IL-8. Since TNF-, IL-6 and IL-8 are major factors during the inflammatory process, we studied the effects of EH on TNF-, IL-6 and IL-8 release in HMC-1 stimulated with PMA and A23187. The result of this study indicate that EH inhibits TNF-, IL-6 and IL-8 in activated HMC-1 cells via /Nuclear factor- pathway. Therefore, EH might contribute significantly to the prevention or treatment of mast-cell mediated inflammatory diseases and EH has potential use in the therapy of chronic allergic inflammation.

Albizia julibrissin (AJ) has been used widely as a traditional medicine. In macrophages nitric oxide (NO) is released as an inflammatory mediator and has been proposed to be an important modulator of many pathophysiological conditions including inflammation and carcinogenesis. In this study we have examined the NO inhibition effect of 85% methanol extracts of AJ in mouse macrophage. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been reported to induce production of NO. Extracts of AJ (1, 10, ) suppressed nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated () mouse (C57BL/6) macrophages and analyzed by ELISA. In addition, it also attenuated the expression of inflammatory products like Interleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible NOS (iNOS) as assessed by immunoblotting with specific antibodies. These results suggest that 85% methanol extracts of AJ would be useful in inflammatory diseases.

The anti-inflammatory effect of Spirulina fusiformis on monosodium urate crystal-induced inflammation in mice has been investigated and compared with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Indomethacin. The paw volume, lysosomal enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, anti-oxidant status and inflammatory mediator tumour necrosis factor- were studied in control and monosodium urate crystal-induced mice after oral administration of Spirulina platensis in an experimental model for gouty arthritis. In the induced mice, the levels of lysosomal enzymes, inflammatory mediator tumour necrosis factor-, lipid peroxidation and the paw volume increased significantly, whereas the antioxidant status decreased when compared to control mice. -glucuronidase and lactate dehydrogenase level were also found to be increased in untreated monosodium urate crystal-incubated polymorphonuclear leucocytes. After the oral administration of Spirulina fusiformis, the physical and biochemical changes observed in monosodium urate crystal-induced animals were significantly restored to near normal levels. The results clearly indicated the anti-inflammatory role of Spirulina fusiformis, a promising drug for gouty arthritis.

Pterocarpus marsupium, Clitoria ternatea, and Sanseveiria cylindrica are some of the important and endangered medicinal plant species of India. Despite of medicinal properties, antibacterial potential of the plants have not yet been explored. The present study was designed to optimize the in vitro technique for micropropagation and to screen the extracts from leaves and in vitro raised calli for antibacterial properties. Excised leaf-explants from the parent plants were surface sterilized and cultivated on Murashige & Skoog's (MS) medium containing -benzyladenine (BA) in concentrations of 1, 2, 5, and . Optimal growth of calli was noticed at a concentration of , therefore the extracts from calli grown at this concentration were further studied for antibacterial activity. Both alcoholic and aqueous extracts from leaves of respective plants, and their in vitro raised calli were tested for antibacterial activity by agar well diffusion method against a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Aqueous extracts showed antibacterial activity against limited number of bacterial species; notably the extracts of C. ternatea which showed antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus. Alcoholic extracts of all three plants showed antibacterial activity against a wider range of bacteria. Among the Gram-positive bacteria, extracts from C. ternatea showed strong antibacterial activity against Bacillus spp., whereas the extracts of S. cylindrica showed good antibacterial potential for Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and S. pyogenes. The extracts from all three plants showed antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, including, Salmonella spp. and Shigella dysenteriae; organisms causing enteric fever and dysentery. In most of the cases, the extracts from respective calli showed comparable, and in some cases better, result in comparison to the extracts from parent leaves. To the best of our knowledge this is the first preliminary report on antibacterial potential, especially through calli extracts, of these plants; and in vitro cultivation of the explants may be used to obtain phytotherapeutic compounds.

Amoora cucullata (Meliaceae), a mangrove plant, has folkloric reputation as a medicinal agent in Bangladesh. In this study, the n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of the stem bark of this plant were subjected to microbiological investigation and brine shrimp lethality bioassay. In case of antimicrobial screening, the ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts appeared to be potent in terms of both zone of inhibition and spectrum of activity showing the average zones of inhibition 8 - 14 mm and 9 - 16 mm, respectively. In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the methanolic extract demonstrated highest cytotoxicity having of , whereas the ethyl acetate and n-hexane extract showed of 7.943 and , respectively.

Eriocaulon sieboldianum (ES) is used in traditional oriental medicine for various medicinal purposes including headache, toothache, and inflammation. However, the anti-cancer effect of the ES is still not fully understood. In the present study, the human leukemia cell line HL-60 was used to characterize the apoptotic effects of ES. ES induced cytotoxicity of HL-60 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. ES induced the generation of reactive oxygen species, and the release of cytochrome c in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we showed that ES-induced apoptosis was accompanied by activation of caspase-3. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ES possesses anti-cancer activity in HL-60 cells.

The n-hexane and carbon tetrachloride soluble fractions of a methanolic extract of the stem bark of the Couroupita guianensis furnished three compounds, identified as -amyrin (1), betulin--caffeate (2) and lupeol--caffeate (3). The structures of the isolated compounds were deduced by extensive spectroscopic analysis as well as by comparison with published values. Compounds 1-3 were subjected to antioxidant screening through free radical scavenging activity by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), where compound 2 showed moderate antioxidant activity with value .